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It might have been awhile, but I don't remember Final Fantasy XII being so much like Game of Thrones. Or at least that's the impression I got from the new story trailer for Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age that was revealed today on the PlayStation blog.

Square Enix producer Hiroaki Kato took to the PS blog today to talk a little bit more about the upcoming Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age remake, including a few details about the game's music and graphical updates since the first Final Fantasy XII came out on the PlayStation 2 back in 2006.

When Kato and the other core members from the original FFXII development team reunited to work on The Zodiac Age, their goal was "to not only improve the visual and sound expression, but also to reconstruct the game design itself so that the players can experience a new Final Fantasy XII as a modern game."

This includes completely re-recorded music tracks featuring live performances as composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, the original composer. Originally the plan was to use tracks from both the PS2 version as well as an original soundtrack version, but Sakimoto suggested to do it live as they say. Other sound options include the ability to switch between Japanese and English voiceover lines at any point in the game.

The game's graphics were also given an overhaul with increased resolution for character models, but improved textures for hair, skin, cloth, armor, and other materials. The contrast between light and shadow was also added using modern lighting technology. "We were careful to preserve the unique graphical texture of Akihiko Yoshida's character illustrations while enhancing the expressiveness with modern technology," Kato wrote.

Meanwhile, I'm digging the new story trailer as it puts a greater focus on the larger world and political intrigue. I went back to check out the original Final Fantasy XII trailer which played out more like a typical anime ad with a focus on Vaan's journey as a shounen hero.